Sewing-machine.



L-. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1911. I 1,170,022. b Patented Feb. 1, 191

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L. E. TOPHAM'.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. \5, 1911 Patented Feb. 1, 1916 9 l6 SHEE TS-SHEET 2- L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.'\5119H. I

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SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION man APR. '15, 1911.

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SEWING MACHINE. I

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 191i. v LWQGQQ. Patented Feb. 1, 1916. 16 SHEETSSHEET 5- v L. E TOPHAM. SEWING MACHNE.

. APPUCATION FILED APR. 5, 191]. 1,1? 2%. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON FILED APR. 15, 1811. 1,170,022. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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Wiza$e$= I Jmwmr- L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-15,1911.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916,.

I6 SHEETSSHEET 8.

L. E. TOPHAM. SEWING MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON FILED APR. 15, $9.11. 1,170,022. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

L. E. TOPHAM. SEWING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, IBM. 1,179,022. Patented Feb. 1, 1916. 1e SHEETSSHEET 10.

L. E. TOPHAMf SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 15,1911.

. Patented Feb. 1, 1916. re sHEETs-sHEET' u L. E. TOPHA M.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15,19H. I 1 170.,022. Patented Feb. 1, 1916! l6 SHEETS-SHEET l2.'

L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-5.19M.

1,1,70,022. Q Patented Feb. 1, 1916..

16 SHEETSSHEET 13.

L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE. 7 APPLICATION FILED APR. I5. 1911.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

I6 SHEETSSHEET 14.

L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1911.

Patented Feb. 1', 1916.

Tans; aa'r entice.

LAURENCE E. TOPHAM, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB. TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF P'ATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1,1916.

of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present inventionrelates to sewing machines, and more particularly to wax" thread lock stitch sewing machines which employ a straight awl and a straight hook needle.

The object of the present invention is to produce a'machine of the class referred to having its various parts constructed and ar ranged to operate in an improved manner so that the machine can be run at a high rate of speed without objectionable vibration and without excessive'wear on the parts or liability of breakage, and so that the machine can produce as good, and in some respects, better, work than machines of the prior art.

The several features of the present invention will be clearly understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and in which- Figure 1 .is a view in side elevation of the machine looking from the right; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the machine looking from the left; Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation'of the machine; Fig. 4 is atop plan View of the forward portion of the head of the machine; Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the head of the machine; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of of Fig. 5; Fig.

Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 IS a vertical sectional view taken on the line 9-9 10 is adetail sectional p an View taken on the line lO-1O of Fig. 5; Fig. 11 is a detail-sectional plan view taken on the line 1l-11 of Fig. 5; Fig. 12 is a detail sectional plan view taken onthe l1I16'12--12 of Fig. 5; Fig.)13 is a detail view in front elevation taken partly in section, and illus-. trating particularly the take-up and thread retainer; ",Fig. 14 is a detail view taken partly in vertical section andparticularly illustrating the upper end of the presser bar and its thread guiding eyes; Fig. 15 is a detail sectional plan view taken on the line 15 of Fig. 7; Fig. 16 is a side view looking from the left, taken on a vertical central section, of the needle and rotary hook mechanisms; Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the needle and rotary hook mechanisms; Fig. 18 is a detail plan view of the rotary hook and inclosed bobbin case, showing the beak of the hook just after it has entered the loop of needle thread; Fig. 19 is a sectional plan view taken on the .line 19-19 of Fig. 16; Fig. 20 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 2()20 of Fig. 3; Fig. 21 is a front elevation taken partly in section on the line 21 of,Fig. 16; Fig. 22 is a detail front elevation taken partly in section, of the gimbal rings which oscillate the supporting frame of the rotary hook; Fig. 23 is a detail sectional view on line 23423 of Fig. 22; Fig. 24 is a view taken on a longitudinal cross section vof the rotary hook, its supporting bearing, the bobbin case, and the detent pin holding plate, the section of the fixed parts of the rotary hook and inclosed bobbin case,

showing the rotary hook carrying the loop of needle thread partly around the bobbin case; Fig. 27 is a plan view, taken partly in section, of the bobbin case, and particu larly illustrating the thread tension spring; Fig. 28.is a sectional view of the bobbin case t'aken'on the line 28-28 of'Fig. 27; Fig. 29 is a fragmentary view, taken partly in vertical section, of the rotary hook, the bobbin ticularly the manner in which the loop of needle thread is engagedvby the beak of the rotary hook; and Fig. 30 is a detail view showing the spiral rib for the micrometer adjustment of the awl feed.-

The work to be sewn is supported in the machine by means of a fiat work support formed by the-throat platel which is provided with the usual slot through which the needle and awl operate.

The presser-foot 2 which cooperates with the work support to position the work is of usual construction, and is secured to the lower end of a presser bar 3. During the greater part of the cycle of operations of the machine the presser-foot is held against the work by the pressure of a comparatively heavy spring, so that the work is tightly clamped between the presser-foot and work support. During the feeding movement of the work, however, the presser-foot is raised from the work so as to offer no resistance to the feeding movement.- At the end of the feeding movement the presser-foot is -released and is again pressed against the work by said spring so that it has an opportunity to accommodate itself to the thickness of the stock. The presser-foot remains pressed against the work until the beginning of the next feeding movement, when it is again lifted and the cycle of operations repeated. To enable the resser-foot to be actuated as above described, the presser bar 3 is slidably mounted in brackets 4 and 5 on the machine frame. The presser bar is kept from turning in its sliding bearings by an arm 6 extendingradially from it near its upper end, the outer end of which arm is bifurcated to slidably engage a pin 7 projecting, upwardly from the bracket 4. The lower end of the pin 7 is somewhat reduced to form a studwhich is eccentric to the axis of the pin, and which is secured in a recess in the bracket 4 and clamped therein by a binder 8. The eccentric stud allows the pin 7 to be turned to compensate for wear between the pin and the bifurcated arm 6. The means for automatically raising the presser-foot during each cycle of the stitch-forming operations, includes a collar 9(Figs. 5, 9 and 11) slidably mounted upon the presser bar above the bracket 5. The collar 9 is provided with a forwardly extending ear or lug 10 which is bored to slide upon a pin 11 extending upwardly from the bracket 5. A helical compression spring 12 surrounding the pin 11 between the enlarged head of said pin and the lug 10 tends to normally press the sleeve 9 down in contact with the bracket 5 which thus acts as an abutment for the sleeve. The sleeve 9 is also provided with two lugs 13 which extend to the left,

- and between which is pivoted a lifting arm 14. When the free end of the arm 14 is raised, the arm 14 is first turned freely with relation to thesleeve 9 which is held down by the spring 12, until a cam 15 (Fig. 11)

whiclkis formed on the inner end 0 said arm, isturned into gripping engagement with the presser bar 3 looking it in-the sleeve 9, after which the presser bar 3 and sleeve 9 are lifted together during the con- .tinuation of the upward movement of the arm 14. The arm 14 is oscillated by an ad justable link 16 which connects the free end of the arm 14 with the end of an arm 17 which extends radially from the forward end of a rock shaft 18. The adjustable link 16 is formed in two parts, the upper part forming a threaded socket for the reception of a screw-threaded pin 19 which forms the lower part of the link. The lower end of the screw-threaded piece 19 is bifurcated and is secured to the outer end of the arm 17 by a removable pin 20 which is held in place by a wire spring 21 which engages a slot in the side of the projecting end of the pin 20. Adjustment of the link 16 is had by removing the pin 20, moving the link out of engagement with the arm 17 and adjusting the scre'w; and socket connection. The rock shaft18 is journaled in the machine frame and is given an oscillatory motion by means of an arm 22 extending radially from the rear end of the rock shaft (Fig. 12),

which arm carries a roller 23 running in a cam path cut in the front face of a cam wheel 24 mounted upon the continuously rotating shaft 25. The shaft 25 is journaled in the machine frame and is driven from the vertical shaft 26 by means of a gear wheel 27 (Fig. 8) meshing with a spiral gear 28 on the shaft 26. The vertical shaft 26 is in turn driven from themain driving shaft 29 by means of bevel gears '30. The

normal direction of rotation of these driv-- ing shafts is indicated by arrows in various figures of the drawings. The timing of the cam path which oscillates the rock shaft 18 is such that the rock shaft 18 is oscillated to lift the arm 14 to raise the presser-foot just before the feeding movement of the work takes place, and to lower the arm 14 to release the presser-foot after the completion of the work-feeding movement.

the lifting arm 14, but the amount of lifting" movement imparted to the resser bar 3 may be varied by adjusting the inclination of the arm 14 by means of the adjustable. link 165 By shortening the link 21, the amo11nt'df..,'. freemovement of'the lifting arm 14 before Stu-U its cam-shaped end 15 grips the presser bar x will be increased, and the amount of lift? imparted to the presser-foot will be corre spondingly decreased, since only the lifting movement of the arm 14 after the cam has gripped the presser bar is effective to raise the presser bar.

To enable the presser-foot to be raised by the operator with the parts of the machine provided with a horizontal .forwardly extending ledge or shoulder 32 (Figs. 9

and 14). This shoulder 32 engages over the top of a round finger 33 which extends rearwardly from the extreme endv of a lifting arm 34 and which also bears against the flattened top of the main portion of the presser bar. The shoulder 32 and the fiat upper surface of the main portion of the presser bar thus form:

between them a laterally extending slot for the reception of the finger 33, so that when the arm 34 is lifted it will raise the presser bar. The' arm 34 is formed on a sleeve 35 which is rotatably mounted upon a pin 36 which forms the forward bearing of a rock shaft 37 (Fig. 10). The rear end of the sleeve 35 has formed in it notches or recesses 38 in which are engaged forwardly projecting lugs 39 on the rock shaft 37. The lugs 39 are sufficiently smaller than the notches 38 to allow the sleeve 35 enough lost motion with relation to the rock shaft 37 so that the lever arm 34 is free to turn idly about its bearing on the pin 36 when the presser bar is raised and lowered by the automatically operated lifting arm 14 mm ing the normal operation of the machine. The rock shaft 37 is turned to raise the arm 34 and presser bar 3 by means of a sliding bar or rod 40 (Fig. 8) secured tothe laterally projecting arm 41 of a bell crank lever 42 rigidly mounted upon the rear end of the rock shaft. The sliding bar 40 is drawn downwardly by a wire 43 running to a suitable treadle, not shown. In order to raise the treadle after it is released by the foot of the operator, a helical compression spring 44 is coiled about the rod 40 between the enlarged upper end of said rod and aplate 45 which is secured to the machine frame, and through which the bar 40 is slidably received. l/Vhen the operator depresses the treadle, the wire 43 is drawn down, turning the rock shaft 37,

which by means of the lug-and-notch connection 39 and 38 raises the arm 34 to lift the presser bar. At the time when the needle and awl are out or" the workand permit its easy removal the lifting arm 14.

is in its downwardly turned position and out of its gripping engagement with the presser bar so that the presser bar is free to slide up and down through the sleeve 9 which is held down against the-bracket 5 by the spring 12. The presser bar may, however, be raised by the treadle when the machine is at any position in its cycle of operation. If the treadle is depressed to raise the presser bar when it is gripped in the sleeve; 9 by the lifting arm 14, the presser bar 3 and sleeve 9 will be lifted together until the arm 14, whose outer end is held by the link 16, is turned sufficiently to disengage its cam-shaped end 15 from the bar, after which the sleeve 9 will be no longer raised, but the prcrser bar will be freely lifted thro ugh said sleeve. The downward pressure which normally holds the presser foot against the work is supplied by a comparatively heavy helical spring 46 (Fig. 10) wound over the'rock shaft 37, the forward end of which spring is extended laterally and bears down upon the finger 33 of the arm 34, and the rear end of which'spring is secured to the forward end of a sleeve 47 rotatably carried upon the .rock shaft 37. For convenience of construction the sleeve 47 is formed of the front andrear portions, which are secured against rotation relatively to each other under the action of the spring 46 by means of a toothed connection 48 (Fig. 4). Gear teeth.

49 are cut in the rear portion of the sleeve 47 and mesh with a worm cut on a shaft 50 which is adapted to be manually turned by means of the handle 51 to adjust the tension of the spring 46 against the presser bar.

The work is fed through the machine 7 from right 'to left by means of a straight awl indicated at 52. The awl is secured by means of clamping screw 53 (Fig. 5) in a socket formed in the lower end of a vertically reciprocating awl carrier or bar 54. The awl bar 54 is slidably mounted in a box or carrier which is hung from the machine frame and is maintained in vertical alinement therewith by means of an arm 56 and twin lever arms 57 and 58 which are 1 parallel to the arm 56 (Figs. 2 and5). The lever arms 57 and 58 are power oscillated to impart a lateral swinging movement to.the carrier 55 and the arm 56 acts area linlrto cooperate therewith in maintaining the alineings upon the pivot pins 64 and 65 which are clamped in the front and rear ends respectively of an elongated sleeve 66 formed integrally with the carrier 55. The two somewhat separated bearings of the arms 57 and 58 upon the carrier 55 maintain said carrier-from turning about a vertical axis. The rock shaft 63 is mounted at its front and rear ends upon pivot pins 67 and 68 respectively secured to the machine frame. The rock shaft 63 has rigidly clamped upon it, near its rear end, a sleeve 69 formed with radially extending twin arms 70. The ends of the arms 70 are journaled upon project ing pins 71, which are clamped in a sleeve 72 formed on the lower end of a cam actu ated swinging bar 73 (Figs. 2 and 7 which oscillates the rock shaft 63, the two separated bearings of the pins 71 serving to maintain the bar 73 from turning about its longitudinal axis. The bar 73 (Fig. 7 is actuated by a cam roller 7 4: which is carried upon the upper end of said bar and which runs in a cam path cut in the rear face of the cam wheel 75 (Figs. 1, 7 and 15) mounted on the forward end of the main driving shaft 29.- The timing of this cam path is such that the feeding movement takes place while the awl is in the work. The bar 73 is hung'from a fixed pivot 76 by means of a link 77 which is pivotally secured to the bar .73 at 78 (Fig. 7 The pivotal connection 78 between the bar 73 and link 76 acts as a swinging fulcrum for the bar and is constrained to swing in the arc of a circle about the fixed pivot 6. The swinging. fulcrum 78 allows the bar 73 to act in the combined capacity of a lever and a link, the pivotal connection 78 allowing the bar 73 to oscillate about it-as a lever, while the link 77 allows the bar 73 to act as a link in transmitting the component of its movement in the direction of the arc of swing of the pivotal point 78 about the fixed pivot 76. The other constraints on the bar 73 are the engagement of the cam roller 74: in the cam wheel 75 which actuates said bar, and the connection of the lower end of said bar to. the rock arms 70 to which it imparts its motion to actuate the awl feed. It will be evident that if the position of the fixed pivot 7 6 be adjusted, the consequent change in the arc of movement of the swinging fulcrum 78 will change the resultant movement 1mparted to the rock arms 70 and will therefore change the length of the lateral feeding movement of the awl. ject in view.the fixed piv1ot 76 is carried upon the end of an arm 79 (Fig. 15) extending radially from the forward end of a shaft 80 which is journaled in a bracket 81. formed on the inside of themachine frame and which is arranged to be manually turned to adjust the position of the fixed pivot 76.

The arm 79 and the link 77 (Fig. 7) are With this ob-.

equal in length and the partsare so proportioned that when the bar 73 is raised to its highest position, the swinging fulcrum 78 will be co-axial with the shaft 80. The position of the awl at the completion of its feeding movement corresponds to the raised position of the bar 73 and it is evident. since the swinging fulcrum 78 and shaft 80 are co-axial, that the turning of the shaft 80 to adjust the position of the point 76 will not effect this position of the awl. When, however, the bar 73 is moved downwardly by the action of its driving cam, the swinging fulcrum 78 is swung from its co-axial position with respect to the shaft 80 and the amount of turning which it imparts to the rock arms 70 at the downward limit of its movement will depend upon the position of the fixed pivot 76. The position of the awl at the beginning of its feed stroke corresponds to the downward position of the bar 73 and consequently this position of :the awl will be varied by the manual adjustment of the position of the pivot 7 6. The awl will thus always be brought to the same position at the completion of its feeding movement when it is withdrawn from the work for the entry of the needle into the awl hole, but the awl will have its position when it enters the work at the .beginning of its feeding movement varied laterally to proarm 82 is cylindrical in cross section, and is forwardly offset from and somewhat inclined to the main portion of said arm. This inclined end portion of the arm 82 is provided with a longitudinally extending recess for the reception of a cylindrical plunger 85. The face of the projecting end of this plunger is formed with a spiral rib- 86 (Fig. 30) to engage a "fixed segmental toothed plate 87 to hold the arm 82 in an "ad.v

justed relation thereto. .The plunger 85- by means of a helical compression spring- 88;

normally held against the toothed plate' '87 and is adapted to .be either retracted against the spring or to be rotated by means of a knurled cap 89 which is secured to the pros jecting' end of the reduced plunger shaft. of pin 90. A gross adjustment of'the awl feed is had by retracting the plunger 85 andturn i th arm 82 with relation to the toothed.

plate 87, and a fine or micrometer adjusti ment is had by rotating the plunger 85 which will cause the'spiral rib 86 to carry the arm 82 slowly along the toothed 'plate 87.

Ina lock-stitch wax-thread sewing machine provided with a hook needle and an awl, it is desirable that as the awl retracts 

